Lucie, postrach ulice (1980) User Reviews

Two funny plasticine puppets give a lot of fun to children and adults.

[stefano-detoni · 9/10 · 4 March 2012]

This is a Czech fantasy TV-series, therefore I decided to give it a chance. It is settled in West-Germany (Köln), but troupe and actors are Czech. As I expected, I wasn't disappointed. The Czech have (or used to have, I don't know) a unique talent to produce funny and intelligent movies or TV-series based on fantasy or fairy tales. They were able to achieve a difficult equilibrium between amusement, good taste, humour, and wit. Nowadays most TV series for children are banal, stupid, flat, and they can barely entertain small children, not to talk that not seldom they convey negative values. These Czech series, on the contrary, wonderfully amuse children and adults maintaining high quality levels and, above all, innocence. Czech directors and producers also had a virtue unknown to their colleagues of others communist countries: they did not put in films any hint of political propaganda. Luzie, Der Schrecken Der Straße is based on one single good idea, which although is developed in a very inventive way, that is to say enriched with a thousand other ideas. Luzie steals (but she repents later!) in a shop a box of plasticine in two colors. In 1980 I was the same age of this child, and I remember well how in those days we used to play with plasticine... Anyway, she steals this box and the plasticine becomes two little and funny men. They are playful, bungling, curious, and have sweet tooth. They also have a good heart and get the protagonist and her friends out of many troubles. Most of all they amuse the children with jokes, acrobatics, imitations. In fact, when necessary, they assume the form of any living being or object. Sometimes they briefly show themselves to adults, who gape at them and don't believe their eyes. These are usually very funny scenes. Special effects are very good, like the two German actors who lend their voice to the puppets. Though I didn't have the luck of seeing it as a child, this series brought me back to the atmosphere of my childhood, when children, games, parents, school, teachers, amusements were different, more innocent, more intelligent, better. Moreover, TV broadcasting started at 5 p.m., and children could not spend too many hours in front of the screen. And programs were much more quiet and harmless. I had a great fun in watching this series. I amused myself and also laughed a lot. The DVD is available also in German. Make a good present to your children and to yourself!